Maori News Broadcasts

The Council took up the question of changing the hour of the Maori News as many farmers find it impossible to hear it at 5.45 on a Sunday evening. The Broadcasting Corporation say that they are not able to make it any later and they believe that, because many people now carry transistor radios about with them, there will be few who cannot listen to the news at this time.

For those in the South Island the Corporation points out that 2YA should be heard everywhere without much difficulty. If you find that you cannot get any North Island station that broadcasts the Maori News, let us know so that we can take the matter up again.

Maori Committee Re-elections

In February next year all Maori (Tribal) Committees will be due for re-election. The regulations governing these elections have not yet been published, but we understand that they will be fairly simple and we hope that our people will be out in force to decide who should be on their local Committees. This will also decide who can be on the Executives, District Councils and New Zealand Council as all these people must first be elected to a Maori Committee.

We expect to see Maori Committees much more active than they have been in some cases in the past. Now that you have District Councils and a New Zealand Council there is nothing to stop every important matter being followed right through to the top. The Council is here to serve the people and the way to approach it is through your local Maori Committee, thence to the Executive, the District Council and finally the New Zealand Council.

It will usually not be possible for the New Zealand Council to deal with your complaints direct. They should come to this body through your District Council who may, in fact, be able to handle the matter themselves. When we ask for information from you, as we have in one or two places above, write to the Secretary, P.O. Box 5195, Wellington. Your letters will always be welcome.